Storage arrangement



Aug. @1946.

I T. E. FOULKES STORAGE ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 10, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1INVEN 70R 77mm: 15. fbULAEJ A TTORNEY 1946. T. E. FOULKES I 2,405,436

STORAGE ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 10, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1% "'"T"jfifiLh u F" .5. 27, FW 28 F594! 52 W; W

M 36 go -31 35 3) s E K L u 0 F E STORAGE ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 10,1943 Y 3 Sheets-Shed '5 INVENTORI Patented Aug. 6, 1946 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Application February 10, 1943, Serial No. 475,414 In GreatBritain February 12, 1942 12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a method of and means for storing article ofdifferent sizes in the most efiicient manner for concentration,accessibility, variet and coordination. It is applicable both to staticstorage systems as for example in a warehouse, or shop, or factory, andalso to movable systems such as transport vehicles (including mobileshops and communal-assistance vehicles) aircraft, ships (includingunder-water craft) and other movable elements. In all its applications,however, the invention embodies th principle of compact storage setforth in my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,285,962, dated June 9, 1942, inwhich contiguous rows of containers are employed, with the containers inat least one row in side-by-side, laterally-movable sections, arrangedso that those in a forward row may be separated to give access to thosein the row or rows behind. Such principle has come to be known as the"Mobile unit storage system.

The present invention seeks to extend and amplify the already wide" usesof the said earlier system, b embodying therein a further and genericprinciple of grading the capacities of the several containers to suitassortments of articles of different sizes, whereby to make full use ofthe capacity of each container, and also to classifyand sub-classify thedifferent sizes so as to enhance the accessibility of each within theconcentration made possible by the earlier system. The invention relatesto vertical systems such as those comprising rows of shelving, and tohorizontal systems such as those comprising super-posed drawers, orsuper-posed trays in a single drawer.

The major problem, to the solution of which the present invention isdirected, can be appreciated from a discussion of the limitations of allthe vertical systems hitherto known.

Storage shelving is frequently used for articles of different sizeswhose close proximity is desirable. In such cases, with the knownarrangements, there can be considerable waste of space and loss ofaccessibility where the smaller articles, in quantities insufficient tofill them, are

placed in compartments large enough, either in depth from back to frontand/or in height from one shelf to the next, for the larger articles. Itis known to make a single row of shelving, for example a book case,relatively stepped, that is to say with its upper portion shallower fromback to front than the lower portion and set back on the lower portion,and whilst this arrangements does, to some extent, restore the balanceof proportion as regards the relative sizes of the compartments (back tofront) by allowing the smaller articles to be stored in the upper space,it does so only by removing storage capacity, and thus-reduces the totalstorage capacity of the shelving.

A further disadvantage of the aforesaid known arrangement of steppedshelving is the consequent limitation as regards the balance ofdistribution of the articles, all the larger articles being necessarilyallocated to th lower parts of the shelving and all the smaller articlesto the upper parts of the shelving.

.As regards height, it is known to construct shelving of graded heightsusing fixed or adjustable shelves, but this does not meet requirementsfor all types of articles, and again entails limitation of allocation.

The object of this invention is to provide the advantage ofclose-proximity storage for articles of different sizes without loss ofstorage space or accessibilit and with less distribution limitationsthan heretofore.

According to the invention, the improved storage arrangements compriserow of containers each partitioned longitudinally to divide it into aplurality of storage spaces, with the containers in at least one row inside-by-side longitudinally movable sections; the faces between thecontainers of at least two contiguous rows being shaped as as to matewith each other and thereby provide storage spaces of several differentdepths measured to such faces, for economic accommodation with balanceddistribution for articles of different sizes.

According to a second feature of the invention, the contiguous face ofthe longitudinally partitioned containers are formed with one or moresteps with the open faces between the steps preferably graded in heightand the grading may m such that for storage spaces of the samemeasurement from back to front in at least two adjacent rows there areat least two different heights of open faces. According to a thirdfeature of the invention, the container units in at least one roware ofgraded lengths (e. g. end-to-end of each unit).

According to one embodiment of the invention, means for storing articlesof different sizes with balanced distribution, comprises longitudinallypartitioned containers, suitably proportioned in depth from back tofront for allocation of the articles according to their size, and sothat the respective proportions of storage spaces for such allocation inone row of shelving are opposite and complementary to those in anadjacent row, or rows, and preferably so that the containers of Fig. 6shows a combination of the arrangements of Figs. 3 and 4;

7 shows a combination of the arrangement of Fig. 3 with an inversion ofthe arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2; r

Fig. 8 shows a further example of storage arrangement according to theinvention;

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show other combinations of arrangements; and

Figs. 12 and 13 show further arrangements according to the invention.

In the example of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shelvingcomprises a fixed row of shelving units I which is stepped halfway up inits height at line :c-a: so that the shelves H in the upper part areshallower, from back to front, than those l2 in the lower part. Theindividual shelves H of the upper part are also arranged closer togetherthan those l2 of the lower part and vertical sub-dividing partitions, ifany, may

also be closer together in-the upper than in the lower shelves toprovide smaller compartments which are in better balanced sizes relativeto the size of the smaller articles to be stored. In front ofthe fixedrow of shelving or rack l 0 is mounted a row of mobile units l 3 which,at their rear faces, are stepped to mate with the front face of thefixed shelvingunits ll! so that in the mobile units, the shelving at theupper part will-be as deep from back to front, as the lower shelves I2of the fixed shelving, whilst the lower shelves of the mobile units willbe shallower and will correspond with the upper shelving l l of thefixed units. The spacing and sub-division ofthe shelves in the mobileunits are conveniently the same as-in the .fixed rack, which latterarealso constructed in side-by-side units, and therefore, consideringanyfixed unit and its complementary mobile unit, or

.evenconsidering the shelving in rows, it will be seen that the articlesmay be distributed in compartments suitably balanced, in proportion totheir size, so that the whole range of sizes, back tov front,is-obtainable not only in one unit, or in one row of units, distributedbetween the upper and lower shelves, but also the articles .in the upperpart of one unit, or row, may be complementary to those in the upperpart of one unit or units of the adjacent row, and equally, the articlesin the lower parts of the two rows will be complementary. Thus forexample, in the upper and lower shelves of the installation, there willbe found suitable storage for both the largest and the smallest sizes ofarticles, whilst from the mean line m-a: at the step, articles of thesame size will be found both above and below such line, though indifferent but adjacent rows.

Thus, for example, considering a storage system with a single centralstep as shown in Fig. 2

the upper and lower parts could be divided as to regions normally withinand beyond average reach above andgbelow the step. The region withinnormal reach lying for example between the lines AA and BB would serveto carry stock of all sizes for immediate use, whilst the.

regions out of normal reach 1. e. above the line lili A-A and below theline B--B would also carry. stocks of all sizes, in the same proportion,and accessible in emergency or for periodic replenishing of theaforesaid region within normal reach.

In another example of the invention, the variation in depth back tofront may have more than one step as shown in Fig. 3 there being twosteps '4 and It. It will be seen that the steps are not equally spaced,and the intermediate faces are graded to provide different heights forsome of the parts of the same depth (back and front). Thus the shelves[6 and I! are of equal depth (back and front) but the spacing is suchthat those of I6 are shallower in height than those of IT,

As shown in Fig. 4 the variation may be gradual through the whole of themating faces, such faces I8 and I9 being equally inclined, slopingbackwards in a plane surface gradually from the ground. In this examplethe spacing of the shelves in the complementary rows is equal and forsubstantially equal height/ depth ratio. Alternatively, such surfaces i8and I9 may be, curved in whole or in part. a

As shown in Fig. the complementary mating faces may be in partvertical,as at and 2|,

inclinedwhilst the front face 3| is stepped. The

shelf spacing in row 21 is shown the same as in .part of Fig. 4 which itresembles, whilst the shelf spacing in rows 28 and 29 may convenientlybe as shown.

Obviously there are many other possible combinations of shape and sizewhich cannot all be described or shown herein. For example the back andfront faces of the middle row may be parallel with each other or one maybe the reverse shape of the other as shown in Fig. 7, in which there arethree rows 32, 33 and 34, the units of the row 33 having a singlebackward step 35 whilst at the front face there are two forward steps 36and 31 respectively. 1 I

In an example where a part only of the meeting faces of adjacent rowsmate, the construction as shown in Fig. 8 may comprise a row of fixedunits 38 with a single step 39 as in the example shown in Fig. 2 andmobile units 30 arranged to run on the step 39 in front of the upper ornarrower shelves only, This arrangement could be reversed as shown inFig. 9 witha fixed'or mobile row of units 4| having the deeper (back tofront) compartments above a reverse step 42 and a second row ofshallower units 43, below such step, and mating with the step and withthe face of the shallower part of the units 4 I.

In another example, see Fig. 10, instead of the whole of one row ofstepped units being fixed, the deeper (back to front) lower part 44 onlymay be fixed, as for example resembling a shOW case or sale counter orwork-bench, and shallower (back to front) upper units 45 be mobilethereon whilst the mobile units 46 of the complementary row wouldoverhang the said fixed lower units 44 to mate with them and with thesmaller upper mobile units 45. By this means a full-depth counter -ortable could be available at any point in its length by separating theadjacent units 45 and 68 leaving the top of the units 44 available forsuch use.

In an example of the second feature aforesaid, of the invention, incombination with the graded depth (back to front) of the shelving thereis provided. graded height. For instance, the units may be made withshelving of four different depths (back to front) and with the heightbetween the upper shelves say half that between the lower. The shelfarrangements shown in the drawings all embody some grading of height butobviously for some requirements such grading may not be required whenthe spacin of the shelves could be equal, or when it may even be desiredto reverse the proportions so that the spacing for the shelves which areshallower (back to front) is wider than the spacing of the shelves whichare deeper (back to front). The invention may be combined with shelving,mobile or fixed, which is of uniform depth (back to front) and either ofuniform or graded spacing of the shelves. Thus, as shown in Fig. 11,there are three rows comprising a fixed row 47 and a mobile row 48 whichhave three complementary steps at which there are shelves 50 such thatthe height above the two upper shelves is the same, and so that for suchheight there are four grades of depth (back to front). Similarly, forthe lower shelves 5| of greater height there are also four grades ofdepth (back to front). In front of the row 48 there is a further row ofmobile units 49 which are of uniform (nongraded) height havingequally-spaced shelves 52.

Instead of having any four grades of depth (back to front) and all ofthe same height, the stepping may be graded to any other requireddimension.

In an example of the third feature of the invention, in combination withthe first feature of graded depth (back to front) with or without thesecond feature of graded height, the units of sh'elving may be of gradedlengths. As a simple illustration, Fig. 12 shows a single row ofshelving, the units of which, from left to right,

53, 54, 55, 56, 5'1, 58 and 59 may measure respec- I tlvely say 3 ft., 4ft., 5 ft., 6 ft., 5 ft., 4 ft., and 3 ft. in length. By arranging thatthe end unit 59can move 6 feet, as shown by the space outlined by thedotted line 60, it is certain that full access is obtainable to orbehind the largest unit as well as to any of the others. In the case ofthe smaller units it will obviously be possible to get access to some ofthose behind or partly behind either of two units in the forward row.Therefore, two persons could, at the same time, have 4 access to twodifferent units in a rear row without interfering with each other. Theunits may be in two or several sizes and may be graded or interspacedother than as above suggested. 0bviously, for example, the row of units49 could be fixed behind the units 41, which would then be mobile. Therecould also be many other combinations of graded units with or withoutother non-graded units.

The invention obviously has a large range of use; for instance it may beapplied to storage below counters, or in domestic storage cupboards, orin ship's storage or in mobile shops or transport vehicles includingaircraft. The invention could be applied to horizontally-disposedstorage systems consisting for example of a plurality of fixed andslidable open-topped containers or trays of different depths and being,in effect, any of the arrangements above described laid on their backs.Such latter arrangement is shown in Fig;

13, comprising a drawer 6| having fixed bottom compartments 62, 63 and64 of graded depth, and slidably arranged above them are three mobileunits of complementary graded depth. The transverse partitions are shownso that the compartments 65, 66 and 61 respectively are of differentsizes. The same arrangement of the transverse partitions may be providedin the fixed compartments at the bottom of the drawer.

What I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a series of rear storagecontainers and at least one front storage container having access facesall in the same direction and each having a back face opposite itsaccess face and longitudinal partitions extending from the said accessface to the back face dividing the container vertically into a pluralityof storage spaces, the front containers being mounted for relativelatera1 movement with respect to said rear containers, with the saidback face of one movable close to and across the said access face ofanother and so that the said onecontainer can cut off access to the saidother container, the back faces of the rear storage containers and thefront faces of the front storage containers being vertical, wherein thesaid access and back faces of such relatively movable containers are ofcomplementary shape to mate slidably with each other, the meeting facesof said containers being along a non-vertical plane, whereby there isprovided on each container storage spaces of several different depthsmeasured from the access face.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a series of rear rows ofside-by-side container units and at least one front storage containerhaving access faces all in the same direction and each having a backface opposite its access face and longitudinal partitions extending fromthe said access face to the back face dividing the container verticallyinto a plurality of storage spaces, the containers in at least one rowbeing mounted for lateral movement with their back faces mova le closeto and across the said access face of those in another row, so that theycan cut off access to those in such other row, the back faces of therear storage containers and the front face of the front storagecontainers being vertical, wherein the said access and back faces ofsuch relatively movable containers are of complementary shape as to matewith each other at any position of their movement, each container unithaving storage spaces of several different depths measured from theacces face.

3. An article of manufacture comprising at least three rows ofside-by-side units of shelving each having a front access face and aback face and longitudinal partitions extending from the said accessface to the back face dividing the container vertically into a pluralityof storage spaces, the units in at least two rows being mounted forindependent lateral movement with their back faces close to and movableacross the access faces of the units ofthe row behind and wherein theunits of at least one intermediate row have both their access and backfaces of complementary shape to mate with the respective complementaryfaces of the units in the next adjacent rows, the back face of the rearstorage containers and the front face of the front storage containersbeing vertical, the intermediate units having portion of greater depthfrom front to rear than other portions and the units in front and at therear thereof as being so shaped as to be complementary-thereto and ashaving back' and acces faces, respectively, shaped to meet with adjacentfaces of said intermediate units, so as to provide in each unit of at'least two rows storage spaces of different depths measuredfrom the frontaccess faces of those units.

4. An article of manufacture comprising storage containers having accessfaces all in the same direction, and each having a back face oppositeits access face and longitudinal partitions extending from the saidaccess face to the back face dividing the container vertically into aplurality of storage spaces, such containers being mounted for relativelateral movement with the said back face of one movable close toand-across the said access face of another and so that the said onecontainer can cut off access to the said other container, the back facesof the rear storage containers and the front faces of the front storagecontainers being vertical, wherein the pairs of complementary meetingaccess and back faces of such relatively movable containers are steppedto mate slidably with each other and wherein each container has storagespaces of several difierent depths measured from the access face.

5. An article of manufacture comprising rows of side-by-side containerunits having access faces all in the same direction and each having aback face opposite itsaccess face and longitudinal partitions extendingfrom the said access face to the back face dividing the containervertically into a plurality of storage spaces, the containers in atleast one row being mounted for lateral movement with their back facesmovable close to and across the said access face of those in another rowso that they can cut off access to those in such other row, the backfaces of the rear storage containers and the front faces of the frontstorage containers being vertical. wherein the pairs of complementarymeeting access and back faces of such relatively movable containers arestepped to mate with each other at any position of their movement andwherein each container unit has storage spaces of several differentdepths measured from the access face.

6. An article of manufacture comprising rows of side-by-side containerunits having access faces all in the sam direction and each having aback face opposite its access face, the containers in at least one rowbeing mounted for lateral movement with their back faces movable closeto and across the said access face of those in another row so that theycan out off access to those in such other row, the back faces of therear storage containers and the front faces of the front storagecontainers being vertical, wherein the pairs of comlementary meetingaccess and back faces of such relatively movable containers are steppedto mate with each other at any position of their movement, longitudinaldivision members in each container extending from the said access faceto the said back face and located at least at such steps and theintervals of measurement between the steps being graded wherein eachcontainer has between such division members storage spaces of differentproportions measured in both such directions of measurement.

7. An article of manufacture comprising rows of side-by-side containerunits having access faces all in the same direction and each having aback-face opposite its access face, th container units in at least onerow being mounted for lateral movement with their back faces movableclose to and across the said access face of those in another row so thatthey can cut off access to those in such other row, wherein the saidaccess and back faces of such relatively movable containers are steppedto mate with each other at any position of their movement, longitudinaldivision members in each container extending from the said access faceto the said back face and located at least at such steps and theintervals of measurement between the steps being graded and wherein asregards storage spaces formed by. such division members in any two suchcontainer units stepped to mate with each other, the container units areproportioned with at least one storage space of one container unitequal. in depth from the access face to at least one storage space ofthe other container unit, but different in-the height thereof betweenthe said division members. a r a a 3. An article of manufacturecomprising rows of side-by-side units of shelving having access facesall in the same direction and each having a back face opposite to itsaccess face, the shelving units in at least one row being mounted forlateral movement with their back faces movable close to and across thesaid access face of those in another row so that they can cut off accessto those in such other row; wherein the said access and back faces ofsuch relatively movabl containers are stepped to mate slidably with-eachother at graded intervals of measurement and partitions located atsuchsteps and wherein storage spaces of several different sizes areprovided in each unit.

9. An article of manufactur comprisingrows of sidc-by-side units ofshelving having .access faces all in the same direction and each havinga back face opposite to its access face, the shelving units in at leastone row being mounted for lateral movement with their back faces movableclose to and across the said access face of those in another row so thatthey can cut off access to those in such other row, wherein the saidaccess and back faces of such relatively movable containers are steppedto mate slidably with each other at graded intervals of measurement andshelves located at such steps andwhich provide in each unit severaldiiferent sizes of storage spaces measured both from the access face andas regards distance between shelves, and wherein as regards storagespaces formed between shelves in any two such units stepped to mate witheach other, at least one storage space in on unit is equal in depth fromthe access face to at least one storage space in the other unit, butdiiferent in measurement between the shelves.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a plurality of rows ofside-by-side units of shelving having access faces all in the samedirection, and each having a back face opposite its access face andlongitudinal shelves dividing the container into a plurality of storagespaces, the containers in at least one row being mounted for lateralmovement with their back faces movable close toand across the saidaccess faces of those in another row so that they-can cut off access tothose in such other row, wherein, the said access and back faces of suchrelatively movable containers are inclined to th planes of theiropposite faces to mate with each other at any position of theirmovement, and thereby provide in each container unit storage spaces ofprogressively differing depths measured from the access face.

'11. An article of manufactur comprising rows of side-by-side units ofshelving having access faces all in the same direction and each having aback face opposite to its access face, longitudinal shelves dividing thecontainer in to a plurality of storage spaces, the shelving units in atleast one row being mounted for lateral movement with their back facesmovable close to and. across the said access faces of those in anotherrOW so that they can cut off access to those in such other row, whereinthe said access and back faces of such relatively movable containerunits are stepped to mate slidably with each other at graded intervalsof measurement and shelves are located at such steps and thereby providein each unit everal different sizes of storage spaces measured both fromthe access face and as regards distance between shelves.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a fixed row of side-by-sidestorage containers each having longitudinal partitions dividing thecontainer into a plurality of storage spaces all open at the top, atleast one complementary row of side-by-side storage containerssuperposed on said lower row, those containers of an upper row mountedfor relative lateral movement with their bottom faces close to the topfaces of those in the lower row so that the upper containers can cut offaccess to those below and wherein th said close bottoms and top facesare stepped to mate slidably with each other, the bottom face of thelower row and the top face of the upper row bein in horizontal planesand providing in each container storage spaces of several differentdepths.

THOMAS EDWARD FOULKES.

